Web-type floor covering and method for its manufacture

ABSTRACT

A web-type floor covering made of vulcanized rubber that includes an elastic rubber web, the top side of which forms a decorative surface, first decorative particles being at least partially embedded in the rubber web so that the first decorative particles are visible from the top side, a transparent coating, in particular made of epoxy resin, being applied to the first decorative particles on at least part of their contact surface with the rubber web, the first decorative particles being preferably made of a different material from that used for the rubber web.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a web-type floor covering madeof vulcanized rubber that includes an elastic rubber web, whose top sideforms a decorative surface, first decorative particles being at leastpartially embedded in the rubber web so that the first decorativeparticles are visible from the top side.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A web-type floor covering of this kind is described in GermanPatent 39 42 505 C1. German Patent 39 42 505 C1 proposes that particlesmade of ground rubber stock be used as the decorative particles. Herein,good adhesion between the decorative particles and the rubber web can beachieved. However, if a different material is used for the decorativeparticles instead of ground rubber stock, when rubbing tests areperformed they indicate that decorative particles of this kind do notadhere satisfactorily to the rubber web and therefore may becomedetached when subjected to frictional loads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The object of the present invention is therefore to improveadhesion between the decorative particles and the rubber web and thusensure that a minimum of decorative particles are detached. According tothe present invention, this object is achieved as follows: A transparentcoating, in particular made of epoxy resin, is applied to a given firstdecorative particle on at least part of its contact surface with therubber web, the first decorative particles preferably being made of adifferent material from that used for the rubber web. Thanks to thecoating, which may be applied to the entire contact surface or justparts thereof, materials that would otherwise not form a lasting andfriction-resistant bond with the rubber web can be used for thedecorative particles. Thus the present invention allows one to use novelmaterials for the decorative particles of a floor covering made ofrubber, so that novel aesthetic effects can be achieved. Themanufacturing processes are straightforward, provided epoxy resin isused; in addition, the decorative particles adhere well and lastingly.

[0004] According to a further refinement of the present invention, thefirst decorative particles are at least partly made of a highlylight-reflective material. According to the present invention, particlesthat have a sparkling, i.e., metallic or quasi-metallic, appearance canbe used for the first time for a floor covering made of rubber, becauseit is thanks to the coating that they form a strong bond with the rubbersurface.

[0005] In particular, strong adhesion can be achieved if the coatedfirst decorative particles are made of corundum, silicon carbide and/oraluminum. Coated aluminum particles can in particular be used asaluminum spangles, which can be manufactured by fragmenting an aluminumfoil coated with epoxy resin. The advantage of aluminum is that it isrelatively soft, which means the floor covering is easy to cut.

[0006] Adhesion can be further improved if the first decorativeparticles are not regularly shaped. Alternatively, according to thepresent invention, regularly shaped decorative particles, e.g., having asquare, rectangular or circular basal plane, may be permanently bondedto the rubber surface.

[0007] To achieve a largely flat surface, it is advantageous if theheight of at least part of the first decorative particles is not asgreat as their longitudinal and transverse dimensions.

[0008] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the size of thefirst decorative particles is between 0.05 and 5 mm, preferably between0.25 mm and 0.70 mm. The size of the decorative particles can bedetermined using a microscope, or via screen analysis.

[0009] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the coating, inparticular the epoxy resin, is applied to the first decorative particlesand cured, and the particles are then applied to the top surface of anuncured rubber web, and the rubber web is then vulcanized.

[0010] Furthermore, according to the present invention, seconddecorative particles made of rubber and having no coating may be used.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method formanufacturing a web-type floor covering having the following steps:

[0012] Preparation of decorative particles, a coating, in particularmade of epoxy resin, having being applied in advance to at least part ofthe particles; preparation of an uncured rubber web having a top side;application of the decorative particles to the top side, in particularvia scattering; attachment of the decorative particles to the rubber webvia application of pressure; and vulcanization of the rubber web havingthe decorative particles.

[0013] Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use ofdecorative particles coated with epoxy resin in the manufacture of anelastic floor covering made of rubber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in thedrawings, in which:

[0015]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a floor covering according to thepresent invention; and

[0016]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectioned view taken through a floor coveringaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0017]FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically depict a web-type floor covering 1,which is essentially formed from rubber web 2, the top surface 3 ofwhich provides forms a decorative surface. Bottom surface 4 of floorcovering 1 is placed on the floor to be covered and can, for example, bepermanently bonded to it via adhesive bonding.

[0018] First and second decorative particles 5, 6 are embedded in rubberweb 2 so that decorative particles 5, 6 are visible from top side 3.Herein, first and second decorative particles 5, 6 are arranged on thesurface of the rubber web so that they form part of the surface of floorcovering 1.

[0019] First decorative particles 5 are made of a highlylight-reflective material, e.g., corundum, silicon carbide, aluminum, ora mixture of various different materials. Highly light-reflective firstdecorative particles 5 give floor covering 1 a variable sparklingappearance when it is viewed from different angles. A coating made ofepoxy resin is applied to decorative particles 5. The coating istransparent, and in particular is clear and may be colored to producecolor effects. If first particles 5 are made of aluminum, one canmanufacture them particularly easily by first coating an aluminum foilwith epoxy resin and then fragmenting it. The epoxy resin may also beapplied to first decorative particles 5 via other methods, e.g., viaspraying or immersion. First decorative particles 5 are made of amaterial that is not rubber and is thus different from the material usedfor rubber web 2.

[0020] First decorative particles 5 may be regularly shaped, e.g., theymay have a square, rectangular, or circular basal plane. The height offirst decorative particles 5 is not as great as their longitudinal andtransverse dimensions. The size of a given first decorative particle 5is between 0.05 and 5 mm, preferably between 0.25 mm and 0.70 mm.

[0021] Second decorative particles 6 are made of rubber. Seconddecorative particles 6 of this kind form a strong bond with rubber web 2even without an epoxy resin coating; second decorative particles 6therefore do not require an epoxy resin coating. The size of seconddecorative particles 6 is between 0.3 mm and 1.5 mm, preferably between0.5 mm and 1.0 mm, this being determined via screen analysis.

[0022] The rubber mixture for rubber web 2 and/or second decorativeparticles 6 may be manufactured from a rubber mixture that is knownheretofore. An example of a rubber mixture of this kind is shown below:Styrene/butadiene rubber (styrene content:  100 parts 23%)Styrene/butadiene copolymer (styrene content:   20 parts 85%)Precipitated silicic acid   40 parts Kaolin   70 parts Precipitatedchalk   30 parts Coumarone-indene resin   15 parts Zinc oxide   5 partsStearic acid  1.5 parts Sulfur  2.5 parts Polyethylene glycol  3.0 partsCyclohexylbenzthiazylsulfenamide  2.7 parts Tetramethylthiuramdisulfide]  0.5 parts

[0023] Second decorative particles 6 may be created by fragmenting avulcanized and in particular web-type rubber mass. However, they mayalso be made of unvulcanized rubber particles, which may be eithersingle-colored or multi-colored.

[0024] The floor covering according to the present invention ismanufactured via the following steps. First, first decorative particles5 are prepared, epoxy resin having being applied in advance to at leastpart of the particles. Furthermore, uncured calendered rubber web 2 isprepared. First decorative particles 5 and if necessary seconddecorative particles 6 are applied to the top side thereof. This may beaccomplished by scattering the decorative particles. After that,decorative particles 5, 6 are attached to rubber web 2 via applicationof pressure, the decorative particles being, for example, pressed intorubber web 2 by a heated steel cylinder until they are at leastpartially embedded. Finally, rubber web 2 having decorative particles 5,6 is vulcanized, decorative particles 5, 6 thus being permanently bondedto the surface of rubber web 2. Alternatively, decorative particles 5, 6can be mixed into rubber web 2 before calendering, so that they areprovided not just on its top side but distributed throughout its entirecross section. This means that the appearance of the upper layer of thefloor covering does not change even if it is subject to wear and tear.

[0025] An adhesion test of decorative particles 5, 6 can be carried outas follows: The decorative side 3 of a piece of floor covering measuring10×10 cm is rubbed against the decorative side of a second similarlydimensioned piece. Herein, to pass the test, it is necessary that nomore than a few decorative particles, or no particles at all, becomedetached from rubber web 2. Herein, the floor coverings according to thepresent invention display excellent values, so that they may be usedeven if the floor in question is subject to intensive use, e.g., inpublic buildings.

What is claimed is:
 1. A web-type floor covering comprising: avulcanized rubber web having a top side that provides a decorativesurface; a plurality of first decorative particles that are at leastpartially embedded in the rubber web along contact surfaces with therubber web, the first decorative particles being visible from the topside; wherein a transparent coating, in particular made of epoxy resin,coats the first decorative particles on at least part of the contactsurface between the rubber web and the decorative particles, the firstdecorative particles being preferably made of a different material fromthat used for the rubber web.
 2. The floor covering according to claim1, wherein the first decorative particles are at least partly made of ahighly light-reflective material.
 3. The floor covering according toclaim 2, wherein the first decorative particles are made of a materialselected from the group consisting of corundum, silicon carbide andaluminum.
 4. The floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the firstdecorative particles are irregularly shaped.
 5. The floor coveringaccording to claim 3, wherein the first decorative particles areirregularly shaped.
 6. The floor covering according to claim 1, whereinthe first decorative particles have a height as well as transverse andlongitudinal dimensions, and the height of at least part of the firstdecorative particles is not as great as their longitudinal andtransverse dimensions.
 7. The floor covering according to claim 1,wherein the size of the first decorative particles 5 is between 0.05 and5 mm, and preferably between 0.25 mm and 0.70 mm.
 8. The floor coveringaccording to claim 6, wherein the size of the first decorative particles5 is between 0.05 and 5 mm, and preferably between 0.25 mm and 0.70 mm.9. The floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the coating, inparticular the epoxy resin, is applied to the first decorative particlesand cured, and these are then applied to the top side of an uncuredrubber web, and the rubber web is then vulcanized.
 10. The floorcovering according to claim 3, wherein the coating, in particular theepoxy resin, is applied to the first decorative particles and cured, andthese are then applied to the top side of an uncured rubber web, and therubber web is then vulcanized.
 11. Floor covering according to claim 1,wherein second decorative particles made of rubber and having no coatingare provided.
 12. Floor covering according to claim 8, wherein seconddecorative particles made of rubber and having no coating are provided.13. A method for manufacturing a web-type floor covering comprising thesteps of: preparing a quantity of first decorative particles, a coating,in particular made of epoxy resin, having being applied in advance to atleast part of the particles; preparing an uncured rubber web having atop side; applying the decorative particles to the top side of therubber web; attaching the decorative particles to the rubber web viaapplication of pressure; vulcanizing the rubber web having thedecorative particles.
 14. An elastic rubber floor covering comprisingdecorative particles coated with epoxy resin manufactured by the methodset forth in claim 13.